Neurotrauma Committee


 

 

THE FIRST PHILIPPINE NEUROTRAUMA BOOTCAMP ACUTE, CRITICAL, REHABILITATIVE AND PREVENTIVE CARE

“From Injury to Recovery” ZAMBOANGA CITY, JUNE 7,8,9, 2023

Neurotrauma has been identified by the WHO as a public health burden with 50-60 million traumatic brain injuries per year (MC Dewan 2018) but it has only been in recent years that attention has been given towards this not so “silent epidemic”. It has been the leading cause of disability to the young generation due to motor vehicle accidents especially in the low to middle income countries (LMIC).

 

The Neurotrauma Committee of the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (AASNS) chaired by Dr. Lynne Lourdes N. Lucena, who is also the immediate Vice President of the Academy of Filipino Neurosurgeons (AFNI) endeavored to start educational courses and advocacy awareness about Neurotrauma.

 

As the First Philippine Neurotrauma Bootcamp was conceptualized and modules were created, the organizing committee in Zamboanga City, Philippines was headed by Dr. Gaudencio Tan Ligutom, a member of the Neurotrauma subcommittee -Philippines. Together with the officers of the AASNS headed by President Kate Drummond, the three- day activity was realized with the support of the AFN fellows and the UERM Neurosurgery Alumni Association and partners from the pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies.

 

It was a hybrid platform powered by Docquity and was broadcasted nationally and in several countries. The attendees reached 220 and represented the medical, nursing, education, allied medical profession and the military who registered for free and was entitled to the lectures, didactics and also demonstrations aside from enjoying free

 

meals and snacks. The virtual attendees reached a total number of 1052 unique viewers from day 1-3 with most of them coming from Vietnam and the Philippines. The top 6 specialties who attended virtually were GPs, nursing, pediatrics, neurosurgery, general surgery and neurology.

 

The speakers included the Secretary General of the AASNS

Dr. Virendra Sinha and chief consultant neurosurgeon Dr. Nemichand Poonia who both travelled all the way from Jaipur, India to be able to share their knowledge and experience in Neurotrauma. Dr. Yigal Soshan, the chair of the Education Committee of the AASNS gave his lecture virtually and Prof Kate Drummond personally welcomed the attendees through the virtual platform. Lecturers from the Philippine society included Dr. Ligutom, Dr Lucena, Dr. Asis Encarnacion, Dr Mitchel Gonzales, Dr. Ronnie Baticulon, Dr. Khalil Ibaoc, Dr Annabelle Alcarde, Dr Charles Neil Tan, Dr Christopher Concepcion, Dr Nicanor Del Rosario, Dr Elmer Jose Meceda, Dr. Jude Gonzalves, Dr Russell Sasing, and Dr James Soriano, current President of the AFNI. Experts from the medical community and local society in Zamboanga were also speakers.

 

The participants expressed their utmost appreciation of the whole course and it was reflected in the whole afternoon workshop where the attendees were able to ask questions and express opinions and receive answers from the panel of experts. They are looking forward to the next Neurotrauma bootcamp next year.

 

Basic Principles in the Management of Acute Neurotrauma

In response to an expressed desire for guidelines suited to developing regions, the neurotrauma committee has prepared a document setting out basic steps in neurotrauma management from the site of injury to the phase of rehabilitation. This document does not include advanced intensive care management. The  guidelines published by the Brian Trauma Foundation, European Brian Injury Consortium and the Japanese Neurosurgical society are the appropriate references for this phase of management.

Basic Steps in Neurotrauma management

“Basic Principles” may be used by individual societies or hospitals to develop their own guidelines.  Any recommendation for changes or additions can be emailed to the chairman of the Neurotrauma committee.

 

AASNS-Neurotrauma Workshops & meetings

2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE Prof Amr El Shawarby shawarby@hotmail.com
Yangon, Myanmar Prof Win Myaing profdrwinmyaing@gmail.com
2015 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Dr Ainul Syahrilfazli Jaafar asjaafar@yahoo.co.uk
Jaipur, India Prof VD Sinha sinhavd@yahoo.com
Kathmandu, Nepal Dr VK Thapa (deceased).
2016 Phnom Penh, Cambodia Dr Kee Park keebpark@gmail.com
Dr Iv Vycheth MD PhD vycheth012892983@yahoo.com 
Surabaya, Indonesia Prof Abdul Hafid Bajamal hfbajamal@gmail.com
2017 Peshawar, Pakistan Prof Tariq Khan, tariq.k@nwgh.pk
Bhubaneswar, India Brig. Dr. (Prof) P K Sahoo  prafullksahoo@hotmail.com
2018 Lucknow, India Dr Deepak Kumar Singh gkp.deepak@gmail.com
Chandigarh, India Dr Sunil Gupta drguptasunil@gmail.com
2019 Shenzhen, China Prof Xianjian Huang ken_1978@163.com
2023 ZAMBOANGA CITY, PHILIPPINE Dr. Lynne Lourdes N. Lucena  lynne.lucena@gmail.com